Outgoing Speaker Martin Romualdez has begun moving his personal belongings from his Batasang Pambansa office after convening an emergency meeting Tuesday night with committee chairpersons and his loyal bloc. His marching order: endorse Isabela 6th District Representative Faustino “Bojie” Dy as the next Speaker of the House.
Multiple sources told IORBITNEWS that Dy’s ascension carries the quiet blessing of Malacañang and major economic power players who want stability in the 318-member chamber amid the multibillion-peso flood control “ghost projects” scandal.
Romualdez’s fall from power comes as investigations mount in the Senate, House, and DPWH, with lawmakers and contractors pointing fingers over ghost projects allegedly funneled through congressional insertions between 2022 and 2025. The scandal has weakened Romualdez’s hold on the majority and forced the Palace to act to contain political and public backlash.
Dy, heir to the influential Dy clan that has ruled Isabela politics for decades, has long-standing ties to agribusiness, transport, and construction circles in Northern Luzon. Insiders say his networks with rice and corn producers, plus his reputation as a consensus-builder, made him the most acceptable candidate to both Malacañang strategists and key business groups wary of a prolonged House crisis.
“Dy represents continuity without the baggage. He’s Palace-approved, business-friendly, and comes from a family with deep political roots. That makes him the safest bet to steady the House and protect the administration’s legislative agenda,” a veteran lawmaker said.
Meanwhile, multi-sectoral groups are preparing a massive protest on September 21 to denounce the flood control scandal, a move seen as adding urgency to Congress’ leadership shake-up.